Electric light fixture



March 27, 1934. B MUL'DQQN 1,952,603

ELECTRIC LIGHT FIXTURE Filed May 27, 192 7 W I 30 v F inn Patented Mar. 27, 1934 PA-T EN-T OFFICE ELECTRIC LIGHT FIXTURE Bernard" F. Muldoon, Mountainview," N. J., 'assignor to-"Hcnry Hyman, Broklyn,- N. Y.

Applicati0n-May 27, 1927. Serial ism-194.588

9 Claims.

This invention "relates to an electric light socket that is provided with a side socket and'also provided with the usual end socket for amelectrio light. Theside socketmay conveniently be of the plug type and-at the same time a screw plug may be provided in the'cap; to'which the shell is connected, so'thatthe device may be screwed into-an'ordinary screw socket. Heretofore troubles have arisen in devicesof this sort because ofthe tendency for the force that isapplied in inserting the plug of a lamp'cord in the side socket to-disconnect'the shell and cap. By the present invention theside'socket itself is so I constructed as to aidinretaining the shell and cap in their assembled position thereby enabling the same to be kept inplace with a greater certainty.

The invention will be understood from' the description in connection-with the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a side view of the device; Fig; 2 is a similar view at right angles to Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 with the side plug removed; Fig. 4 is a section along the line 44 of Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is a perspective View showing the side socket; Fig. 6 is a section along the line 66 of Fig. 4 and Fig. '7 is a section along the line 7'7 of Fig. 4.

In the drawing reference character 10 indicates the shell, and 11 the cap of the usual type, that may be attached or snapped together in the usual well known manner. The side socket 12 of insulating material is attached to the shell and cap and is provided with openings 13 and 14 to accommodate spring contacts for the plug of an electric light cord. The side socket 12 is provided with an upper rim or flange portion 15 and a lower rim or flange portion 16 that are adapted to fit over a shoulder 17 on the cap 11 and a shoulder 18 on the shell 10, respectively, so as to prevent the shell and cap from being accidentally pulled apart by the insertion or removal of a plug. A central opening 19 extends through the socket 12 and a countersunk opening 20 is provided at the outer end thereof. A long screw 21 extends through the opening 19 and its head is seated in the countersunk hole 20.

The shell 10 is provided with the usual insulating sleeve 24 and contains two spaced discs 25 and 26 of insulating material, such as porcelain, for example. A threaded socket 27 of the usual sort is attached to the disc 26 by means of screws 28 and metallic standards 29 and 30 connect the discs 25 and 26 to each other, and provide a space between the two for the switch make and break mechanism.

1 The cap 11 may be of the usual type that is fastened to a pipe or hickey for the electric light wires in the well known manner. However, in the illustrative embodiment of the invention, the'cap 11 is cut away at the top portion thereof and a plug of insulating material 33is inserted having a lower portion within the cap 11, and an upwardly projecting portion outside of the cap. The upwardly projecting portion outside of the cap 11 is provided with a threaded sleeve or screw shell 34 to adapt the same to be screwed into an ordinary lamp socket of the screw type. A spring contact 35 extends from the'standard 29 and is attached thereto by means of the screw 35 and extends through an opening 36 in the plug 33 to contact with the inner surface of the screw shell 34.

A central contact 38 of the usual sort is con-' 4 nected to the lower side of the-disc 26 by the central rod 39; A switch mechanism 40 is mounteduponthe rod 39 and may be of the 'pullchain type. A-pullchain 41- 1 that passes outwardly through the chain. guide 42 is attached to the switch mechanism and. serves to make and break the circuit. This type of switch is well known in this art, and will not be described in detail as it is not a part of the present invention. A switch contact element 43 (Fig. '7) is connected by means of the screw 28 to the standard 30 and a connector 44 is connected by means of the screw 44' to the standard 30 and the upper end thereof is connected to the lower end of a central rod 45 that extends through the plug 33. The upper end of the rod 45 is provided with a central contact 46.

A circumferentially disposed holding member 47 is attached by means of the screw 44' to the standard 30, and is provided with a screw threaded hole into which the screw threaded end of the screw 21 through the side socket 12, extends for the purpose of keeping the side socket in place. Spring contact elements 48 and 49 are attached to the standards 29 and 30, respectively, and extend into the openings 13 and 14 of the side socket 12 to be contacted by the terminals of a push plug.

When the device is screwed into place, the shell 34 and central contact 46 make contact with the two sides of the electric circuit. The current passes from the shell 34 through the contact 35 to the standard 29, and thence to the screw shell 27 as well as the spring contact 48. Current from the central contact 46 passes through the rod 45 and connector 44 to the standard 30 from which it passes to: the spring contact 49, and also to the central contact 38 when the switch mecha- CPL nism 40 is in the circuit closing position. It will thus be seen that the contact elements 48 and 49 are energized whether the switch mechanism 40 is in the open or closed position, so that an electric lamp screwed into the shell 2'7 can be lighted and extinguished without disturbing the connection to the plug that is inserted in the side socket 12, and conversely a plug may be inserted and withdrawn from the socket 12 without disturbing the lamp in the socket 27.

By removing only one screw, namely, the screw 21, the side socket 12 can be taken ofi and the shell 10 and cap 11 can then be disconnected to gain access to the interior mechanism. While the side socket 12 is held in position by means of the screw 21, the flanges 15 and 16 of the side socket extend over the shoulders 17 and 18 of the cap and shell, thus aiding in preventing the cap and shell from becoming accidentally disconnected from each other.

When the plug 33 is not used the spring contact 35 and the connector 44 are omitted, and the cap 11 of the usual type is installed and the electric wires are connected to the screws 35 and 44', respectively, whereupon the operation will be similar to that already described.

I claim:

1. In a lamp socket, a shell and cap, and a side socket of insulating material provided with means to hold said shell and cap together.

2. In a lamp socket, a shell and cap, and a side socket of insulating material extending across the shell and cap and having ledges extending over a shoulder of each.

3. In a lamp socket, a shell and cap, a side socket of insulating material provided with means to hold said shell and cap together, and a metallic member inside of said shell to which said side socket is attached.

4. In a lamp socket, a shell and cap, a side socket of insulating material provided with means to hold said shell and cap together, and contacts in said side socket one of which is connected to one side of an electric circuit and the other to the other side of the circuit.

5. In a lamp socket, a shell and cap, a side socket of insulating material provided with means to hold said shell and cap together, and spring plug contacts in said side socket one of which is connected to one side of an electric circuit and the other to the other side of the circuit.

6. In a lamp socket, two insulating discs, two metallic standards connecting said discs and connected to opposite sides of an electric light circuit, a side socket connected to one of said metallic standards, and two spring contacts connected to said metallic standards and projecting into said side socket.

'7. In a lamp socket, two insulating discs, two metallic members connecting said discs and connected to opposite sides of an electric light circuit, a side socket connected to one of said metallic members, two spring contacts connected to said metallic members and projecting into said side socket, and a shell and cap enclosing said discs and having rounded portions over which portions of said side socket extend.

8. In a lamp socket, two insulating discs, two metallic members connecting said discs, an insulating plug having a central metallic contact, a threaded metal sleeve on said plug, one of said metal members being connected to said central contact and the other one to said sleeve, said last named connection being by means of a spring.

9. In a lamp socket, two insulating discs, two metallic standards connecting said discs and connected to opposite sides of an electric light circuit, a side socket connected to one of said metallic standards, two spring contacts connected to said metallic standards and projecting into said side socket, and a make and break device in said lamp socket.

BERNARD F. MULDOON. 

